System for vapor electric apparatus.



F. CONRAD. SYSTEM FOR VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1908.

93 1, 1 1 4. Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

WITNESSES:

5 66 4 INVENTIOR ATT'ORNEY 1 rectifying devices, and it has for its object a No. 931,114.

'- current through the lamp Vapor Electric *UNITED sca -gs PATENT OFFICE.-

FRANK CONRAD, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF EAST PITTSBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OE'PENNSYLVANIA. v

SYSTEM FOR 'VAPOB ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

To allwhom it may concern: -Be it known that I, FRANK CONRAD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and 'State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Systems for Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to tric apparatus, such as lamps and current-- to provide a transformer for use with such devices that shall be so constructed as to I obviate the necessity or desirability of proadditional means for sustaining the" viding or rectifying device and for regulating its operation.

In the operation of mercury-vapor lamps upon alternatingcurrent circuits, and in the operation of current-rectifying devices, it is I usually necessary to provide means for mainl taining nd a smoothing out the current through the said devices, and to also provide means for regulating the operation of the devices. The currents through such devices hav e usually been maintained and'smoothed out by means of an inductive coil in the,

direct current circuits'thereof, and the regulation has been .efiected, either by means of an ohmic resistance in the direct current circuit, or by means of inductive resistance in the alternating current circuit, whereby suit able drop in electromotive force is caused by the flow of current.

I11 the present instance, the use ofdevices v separate t'romthe transformer for sustain-- ing and smoothing out. the rectified current and for causing a suflicient drop of potential in the system is obviated, since both results are effected by-the transformer.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagrammatic view of a system embodying my mvention, and in which rectified current is supplied to a gas or vapor lamp, and Fig.

2 is a diagrammatic view of a system adapt-- ed for charging storage batteries.

In Fig. 1, a mercury-vapor or other vapor. or gas lamp 1 is supplied Withcurrent'fmfiI an auto-transformer 2 compr sing a magnetizable core-3 of the shell type and tour Specification ot Lettera Patent. Application filed January 10, 1908. Eerial No. 410,242.

former wining, and negative terminal 10 gas. or yapor 'elec-' placed 'ary flux, and the bundles 13 and 15 provide .and the legs of the core- It will-be underthe secondary circuit of the transformer Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

"series-connected spaced coils 4, 5,, 6 and 7 positive terminals 8 and '9 of the lamp being connected to the extremities of-the transthereof being connected to the neutral or other suitable intermediate point of the winding The extremities of-the coils 5 and- 6 are connected to conductors 11 and 12 of an alternating current circuit, the said coils constituting the primary winding of the transformer, while allof the coils constitute the secondary windingx Between each pair of adjacent coils are bundles ofisheet iron 13, 14 and 15 for providing leakage. paths of relatively low reluctance for magnetic flux between the inner and the outer legs of the transformer core. The bundles of iron let provide leakage paths of low reluctance for the secondpaths for the primary flux. In the present mstance, the sizes and disposition of the bundles of iron are such that the leakage paths for the secondary flux areof less reluctance than the paths for the prim'ary'flux, it being noted that the air-gaps between the bundlesfofiiron 14 and the legs of the transformer core are less in width than the airgapsbetween the bundles of iron 13and 15 stood, however, that the transformer here illustrated is'adapted only for special circuit conditions and that other conditions may arise which would require or'render desirable. a modification of the structure. 8

The provision of a leakage path of relatively lowmeluctance for the primary flux obviates the necessity of employing a separate impedance device in the alternating current circuit, or of an ohmic resistance device in the connection between the terminal 10 of the lamp and the neutral point of thetransformer winding, since suflicient ir n pedance isthereby introduced into the circuit to cause the requisite or desired drop of potential when-the circuits are traversed by current, and the provision of a leakage path of relatively low reluctance ,for the'secondary circuit flux introduces inductance into 7 tamed.

whereby the current through the lamp is sus- The mode of operation of the invention will be more readily understood from a consideration of-the directions cf the several fluxes in the transformer core. The current in thepriniary coils 5 and 6 during a given instant produces a main flux in the direction.

of the line 17 and leakage fluxes through.

the bundles of iron 13 and 15, as indicated 7 by the lines 18 and 19. A small amount of leakage fiuxalso] traverses. the bundles of iron 14,-as indicated by the lines 20. The i 7 leakage flux indicated by the lines 18 and 1-9 that which introduces impedance into the primary 'circuitof the transformer. This halfo flux does'not tend to maintain the rectified ciirrentin the lamp 1, but simply shifts thephase of the alternating current with respect to the electromotive force, and it, therefore,

' has only the'same effect as impedance placed between the transformer and the supply cir oait. l

The rimary flux induces a current in onef the secondary coils (1t and 5) which causes a flux that is opposite -n direction'to the'primary fiux.' It w1ll be understood'that the flux produced by the current traversing the coils 4 and 5 will be substantially double that produced by the primary coil'5, since the ampere turns in theactive portion of the secondary winding are double those in each of theprimarypoils. The secondary flux is opposeinot only by that produced by the co' 5', but also by that produced by the pri- {ma coil 6fand,'therefore, some of it ising the next half cycle of the alternating will be reversed, while the coils 6 and 7 will forced to-traverse'paths through the bundles of iron 14. The seconda indicated-byline '22, it be ng notedvthat it surrounds thesecondaryhiils 4 and 5. Durcurrent, the direction of the primary flux constitute 'the active portion of the secondary winding. The flux produced bythe coils 6 and 7 will oppose that producedby the perimary coils 5 and 6 and a leakage flux will causedto traverse a path indicated by the I line -Since-jthe leakage fiu'xes ind' ated by the 'lines 22 and 231'traverse the po tions of the 'inagxietic circuit. between the coils 5' and 6 in, ,the same direction, there is a lack" of necessity of reversing the magnetism in,

or of fully re-magnetizmg, the bundles ofiron14and the gaps between-themand the legs ofthe core durin each half cycle of the alternating current, incre'ase ofcurrent in each half-of thesec ondary will-be but slightly delayed.

th the resu t that the The decrease of current, however, in each half of the-secondary winding is considerablydelayed bythe energy previously stored thereby in the. corresponding portions of the magnetic'circuit, and the um-directiona'l or rectified currents, therefore, that are derived leakage flux is.

system.

from the respective halves of the secondary winding during successive half cycles of the alternating current, overlap. Thus, the' leakage paths afforded by the bundles of iron l i provide means for sustainingthe direct or rectified current; i. e., for preventing itfrom falling below a definite or ,predetermined value. The leakage iiuxes indicated :by the' lines 22 and 23 have no efiect in caus-' because the direction of the fluxes in the.

current for charging a storage lfittery 25,

the circuit connections being similar to those shown in Fig. 1.

storagebatteries, it is quite desirable to proln employing mercury-' vapor and simllar rectifiers for charging.

vide' means.n0t only. for sustainingand.

smoothing out the rectified current but also for causing a suitable drop of'potential in the-system in order that the amount ofcurrent supplied to the battery may,- be reguoperation of the system thereby rendered uniform and stable. With the transformer constructed as herein set' forth, a large amount of current is supplied to the battery when beginning the charging operation,' be-;

cause the voltage of the battery is low and we a large current value is required to cause 'latedin accordance with its voltage and thesuch a drop of potential in'the system that,

the voltage applied to the battery may be substantially the same as that of the battery. I

,As the battery becomes charged and its voltage rises, the requisite drop of potential in the system decreases and the amount of current supplied to the battery also decreases correspondingly.- It is "seen, therefore, that the presenttransformer. permits of auto-'.

matic regulation "of the operation :of the I laim as my' invention; -1. The combination with an curreht circuit, and a' current-rectifying device, of a transformer interposed between the circuit and the device comprising prialternating mary and secondarycoils, and leaka e paths of low reluctance between the coils whereby impedance is introduced into the-primary c rcu t and inductance-[into the; secondary circuit. I

The combination 'withan. alternating current circuit, and la current-rectifying dethe circuit and the device comprising primary and secondary coils, and leakagepaths ;vice, of, a transformer-interposedbetween for the primary and secondary. fiuxes,.re-

spectively, the leakage paths for the primary leakage patmsfor the secondary flux.

flux being :of greater reluctance than the 3. The combination with an alternating current circuit, and a currentq'ectifying device, of a transformer interposed between the circuit and the-device comprising primary and secondary coils, and magnetizable material between adjacent coils providing leakage paths of low reluctance for the primary and secondary fluxes respectively.

4. The "combination .with an alternating current circuit, and a current-rectifying device, of a transformer interposed between the circuit and the device and embodying means for introducing Iinductance into both the primary and secondary circiiits.

5.'The combination with an alternating current circuit, and a current-rectifying device, of a transformer interposed between the circuit and the device and embodying means for sustaining the rectified current and for causing a 'drop in electromotive force that is dependent upon the amount of current taken by the device.

6. The combination with an alternating current circuit, and a current-rectifying device, of a storage battery supplied by the rectifying device, and a transformer interposed between, the circuit and the device and einbodying means forsustaining the rectified current and for causing the elect'romotivev force applied to the batteryto increase automatically as the battery becomes charged.

7.-The combination with an alternating current circuit,.and a current-rectifying device, of a storage battery supplied by the rectifying device, and a transformer inter-v posed between the circuit and the device and embodying means for'sustaining the rectified current and for causin the current supplied tothe battery to ecrease automatically in amount as tma battery becomes charged, I

8. The combination with an alternating current circuit, and a current-rectifying dc.-

' vice, of'a storage battery suppliedby the rectifying device and a transfornrer interposed between t-he circuit and the device and embodying means for sustaining the rectified current, and for regulating the rate of 'charging of-thebattery.

9. A transforr'nercomprising amag etizable core, series-connected coils ther n, a

' plurality of which are included in each of the primary and secondary circuits, and

I 'means providing leakage paths for rela- 55 coils.

.10. A' transformer cgrnprising ii -magnetizable ,core, a plurality of series-connected coils arranged side by side upon the core, the outer coils-constituting part of the secondary circuit, and means providing leakage paths of relatively low reluctance-betwen all adjacent-coils.

'tively low'j'eluct'ance between all adjacent 11 The combination with. an alternating.

current circuit, and a current-rectifying deprising a ing respective the secondary vice, of a transformer interposed between the circuit'and the rectifying devlce comprising a plurality of coils arranged to form the two secondary circuits. 12. The combination wlth an alternating current c1rcu1t,and a current-rectifying de-' vice, of a transformer interposed-between the circuit and the rectifyingdevice complurality of coils arranged to form two secon ary circuits that are traversed respectively by currents of uniform direction, and a magnetizable core for'the coils adapted to provide leakage paths for fluxes surrounding the coils pertaining respectively to the two secondary circuits, the said paths having a common portion in which the leakage fluxes are of uniform direction.

l3."lhe comblnatlon with an alternating current circuit, and a current-rectifying de-' vice, of a transformer interposed between the alternating current circuit and the rectifying device and embodying means for sustaining the rectified current.

14. The combination with an alternating current .circuit, a current-rectifying device, and a circuit supplied therefrom, of a trans former interposed between the circuit and the rectifying device and embodying means for introducin inductance into the circuit supplied therefrom.

15. The combination withan alternating current circuit, and a current-rectifying device, of a transformer interposed between the circuit and the rectifying device com-- prising a plurality of coils arranged to form two secondary circuits that are traversed respectively by currents of uniform direction, and means providing a low reluctance leakage ath between the coils pertainy to the two secondary circuits. I

16. The combination with an alternating "current circuit, and a current-rectifying device, of a transformer interposed between the circuit and the rectifying device and provided with leaka e paths for fluxes between the secondary coils and between the primary and secondary coils thereof.

17. A transformer comprising a plurality of secondary coils and low reluctance leakage paths between the said coils.

18. A transformer-comprising one or more primary coils, a plurality of secondary coils, and low reluctance leakage paths between coils and between the primary and secondary coils.

19. The combination with an alternating current circuit, and a current rectifying dev1ce, of a transformer mterposed between the clreult and the device comprislng pri- 'Iuafy and secondary coils; aild leakage paths aud'secondary coils and leakage paths 0f Wines ses:'

unequal reluctance for the primary and of unequal relugtange for the primary and secondary 'fiuxes Y 2% A transformer compi'ising primary i OTTO S. SCHAIREB,

secondary fluxes. BIBNEY HINES.

, In testim ny whereof, I have hereupta" subscribed my name this 31st day of Dec FRANK CONRAD. 

